1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk loading device, particularly, to a disk loading device for an optical disk drive which is used to vertically install the optical disk (upright in one side).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In present optical data storage systems, various mediums or an optical disk can be used to store digital information. For example, 5.25 inch optical disks are used in standard optical disk systems, which optical disks may or may not be installed within a protective caddy. If said optical disk is not fixed within a protective caddy, the optical disk must be manually loaded onto an optical disk driver's tray by an operator, and then the optical disk is carried to a predetermined position by a driving device. The optical disk loading device is well known to persons skilled in the computer field.
At the present time, as computers are used in various fields, the computer may be installed horizontally or vertically, wherein peripheral devices in the computer must be fit to operate vertically (upright in one side). In prior optical disk loading devices, a linkage optical disk tray may insert into or remove from an insertion port of the optical disk driver, and another rotary pan which allows an optical disk to rotate thereon is installed on the spindle motor of said system. Said rotary pan contains a magnet, and a clamping piece having a yoke therein arranged above the spindle. After the optical disk is positioned for reading data, the iron piece on the center of the optical disk is pulled by said magnet, thereby fixing the optical disk on the tray in the required position for rotating. However, the conventional linkage tray has no clamping force for holding the optical disks, for example, when the conventional optical disk drive, such as CD player, LD, CD-ROM, etc. are installed horizontally. During loading and unloading operation (i. e. when the optical disk is moved from the insertion port into the optical disk drive and then is loaded onto the spindle rotary pan, and when the optical disk is unloaded from the spindle rotary pan and then is pushed into the insertion port), when using the conventional optical disk drive installed horizontally, the optical disk remains on the prior linkage optical disk tray by the force of gravity and is moved parallelly with said base and horizontally toward the rotary pan position. While the optical disk drive is vertically (upright in one side) installed for use in the conventional design, the optical disk can not be supported by the tray and will be separated from the tray due to gravity, thus, the optical disk can not be loaded or unloaded using the optical disk drive.
A prior art for successfully loading and unloading optical disks when used to vertically install the optical disk driver is shown in FIG. 1. In the prior art, the linkage optical disk tray uses projecting ribs 100A on the periphery of the positioning area of an optical disk 30 for preventing the optical disk 30 from tilting. In the technology of such optical disk tray, the optical disk will be loaded into the optical disk driver installed vertically (upright in one side) so that the optical disk will not slide. However, as the optical disk is only supported by the projecting ribs 100A, it will probably vibrate during loading and unloading operations and thus may be in an unsteady condition and be inserted at a slant into the optical disk driver (not vertically). This will induce uncertainly in positioning the optical disk on the predetermined position of the rotary pan. Furthermore, if the optical disk tray has projecting ribs, regardless of how the optical disk is installed vertically (upright in one side) or horizontally, when the optical disk is located on the optical disk tray, a smaller angle is needed to transfer the rim of said optical disk inside the structure of the projecting rib. This is troublesome for an operator. Therefore, the disadvantage of the prior art is that the optical disk can not be steadily loaded into the preset position of the rotary pan.
THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED BY THE PRESENT INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to overcome the problem which causes unsuccessful loading and unloading of the optical disk so that the present invention may be steadily loaded into a predetermined position on the rotary pan during loading and unloading operations, and when the optical disk driver is installed horizontally, the optical disk tray of the present invention also provides as easy loading and unloading as that of the conventional art.